Journal · Bumthang
Jambay Lhakhang
With Kyichu in Paro, the oldest temple in Bhutan, by tradition founded in 659.
The story
It is one of the temples Songtsen Gampo is said to have built to pin down the demoness who lay across the Himalaya. Jambay Lhakhang holds down her left knee. It is also called the Temple of Maitreya, Jampa in Dzongkha, the Buddha of the future.
The festival
The Jambay Lhakhang Drup, in autumn, has a fire blessing and a dance at midnight. It is much smaller than the big festivals in the west.
Sources
Checked October 2026. Where sources disagree, we say so or leave the detail out. Opening times and rules change, so your guide confirms on the day.